Monday, February 27, 2017

If you've read my last post you'll remember I was trying to keep busy while drinking that horrible prep liquid for my colonoscopy. Well, one good thing came of it. Actually two.
1. My results are good, and I don't have to do it again for ten years!
2. I designed an adorable quilt that I am in love with!

I wanted to share a picture with you so you can see the end result. I still have one partially finished on a blue background, but here's what I have done so far!

The second pic is just a close up of that sweet face. This quilt was inspired by a little chihuahua named Winslow who visited me recently!

I put the quilt in my shop on my website, www.fanniejane.com
Even if you don't want to see the quilt again, please stop by the website and visit. I'll be posting there as well and offering tutorials, stories, freebies, and all kinds of fun things! Don't forget to join the mailing list so I can keep you up to date!

I hope you enjoyed the quilt, I sure had fun making it! PLEASE share, pin, post, any kind of social media you do. I'm trying hard to be seen and finding out it's not easy!! I would appreciate it.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

I'm trying to think of a word that would adequately describe the feelings I was having last night. Yuk isn't quite strong enough, life-ending is a bit of an exaggeration, so for lack of anything better I'll just stick with "ughhh". If that is even a word.Have any of you had the pleasure of that really fun medical screening, the one you get when you are getting old? Yep, you guessed it. Colonoscopy. It hurts me just to type the word. I've put it off for far too long, and after losing my mom recently I was thinking how I don't want my kids to go through losing their mom any time soon. My dad died too young. My kids remember him more through pictures and stories than actual memories. I wish they could have known him better, longer. Sad.Last night I began drinking the liquid prep at 7:00 as instructed, but didn't finish till 3:00 a.m. It said to drink an 8 ounce glass every 10 minutes. I got the first few glasses down, not easily, but down. After that it wanted to come back up. I had that feeling you get when you have a stomach flu and the worst is about to happen. My husband kept encouraging me to just chug it, and I tried to explain to him if I didn't go slowly I would lose it all. Seriously, just typing this is making me nauseous. Ughhh. Yuk. Badness. I was feeling quite sorry for myself, wondering what cruel and inhumane person decided this was the best way to prepare. I finally got to sleep at around 4:00. I know it is a lifesaving screening and I should have done it sooner, but I was dreading it. People talk you know, and it didn't sound like fun!Let me go on record admitting I am a big baby when it comes to medical things (and dental as well), but I'm trying to put on my big girl panties and deal with it!

On a cheerier note, I knew the only way I could survive this prep was to be distracted, so I put on some good shows (not my beloved Pioneer Woman this time because the sight of food was not a good thing) and decided to make something new, which always makes the time pass quickly for me. My son's girlfriend was over the other day with her little chihuahua, Winslow, and I thought it would be fun to make a little baby quilt with a chihuahua. I sketched it out on brown craft paper, picked out fabrics, arranged them, working till almost 4:00. Somehow my obsession with creating helped me to survive the night.

Here's a picture of what I have finished so far. I'm thinking I'll make two baby quilts, one for a boy, one for a girl. Or maybe just two different color backgrounds and leave the dogs gender neutral. Usually I decide as I go, it's always fun to see what I end up with. I have a couple hours to kill before I leave for the procedure so I'm going to keep working so I don't just sit and think about it.Please get your medical screening tests done. . . if not for yourself, for those who love you!

Sunday, February 12, 2017

I truly never thought I would be saying these words, but my website is finally done! That's what the "ta-da" was all about. It's named after my great-grandmother, fannie jane. Here's the link if you want to visit: fanniejane.com

I've been trying to get this up for so long, but life kept getting in the way. That sounds like an excuse, but it really did. Things that I had no control over took priority over the website. Anyhow, here we are. The website is up, and far from finished, but so far I'm pretty happy with it. I have a lot of content to add, but for now I think you will see where I'm going with it.

I was bound and determined not to be a store; yet I needed to be able to sell my handmade items. Hmmmmm, I figured the best thing to do was make it a blog/teaching/inspiring website and oh, by the way, I do have a few products for sale if you're interested!My dream for all these years has been to promote handmade. To teach, encourage, motivate, and showcase both old and new handmade treasures. I'll be making tutorials on all kinds of handcrafts and put them up, hopefully encouraging others to try something new. Originally I planned on just selling patterns for the designs, but I've decided to start with the finished products and see how it goes. I feel like I did a pretty good job of being very true to myself. It is hard not to be influenced by other websites, but I just designed it so that if I happened upon it randomly I would absolutely love it. There are plenty of us out there, and the common thread is we love handmade. We love to collect it, we love to create it, we love to share it. By the way, the absolutely adorable little girl on the home page is my granddaughter. She's standing on a handmade quilt from my grandma and her sisters from downhome. The outfit little Ellie has on is one of my original designs. All the adorable props are vintage, some with a makeover by yours truly, like the buggies. I hope you can visit. If you believe in handmade, like I do, then you should enjoy it. If you love it please join my mailing list and I'll keep you updated. I'm so excited I actually squealed this morning. Have a wonderful day!!

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About me

Aunt Bea is my hero, Goober and Barney make me laugh. "I Love Lucy" is one of my favorite shows. Watching her in the Long, Long Trailer still makes me laugh even though I've seen it a dozen times. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Meet Me In St. Louis, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and A Christmas Story (with Ralphie) are among my favorites, but I love all the wonderful old movies. I enjoy listening to music from the 40's and old radio shows. I also love Christmas music, year round.

Yep, I'm that girl who is happy to hear Christmas on the radio in November while everyone else groans!

I love vintage, anything country, and handmade. I believe in handmade. I enjoy creating things with my hands, and I love to sew, quilt, make dolls and toys, crochet, knitting, and embroider. I love to draw and paint and write stories. One of my dreams is to illustrate my own children's book. I love to garden, cook, bake, and make jam.

Whenever there is time I play the piano, and since I asked for a ukelele for mother's day I've been trying to learn to play that. Luckily I dabbled in guitar so I have head start.

I'm kind of obsessed with the 40's. I figure that if I was born in the 30's I would have been just the right age in the forties. Just think how different life would be. The world was most definitely a kinder and gentler place . Even though it was hard work without all our modern inventions, people seemed to appreciate things more and have priorities in the right place.

When I bake or make jam I wear a handmade apron, sometimes mine - sometimes from my vintage apron collection. My blue ribbons from county fair are proudly displayed in my sewing room.

I enjoy hanging laundry out to dry, old fashioned clothespins and all. The sheets dance with the gentle breeze on the old, cotton clothesline, and when I lie in bed they will have that wonderful smell you can't get from a dryer sheet.

The summer sun warms my skin as I work in my garden. My soul is renewed as I inhale that wonderful smell of earth and grass, and I dig into the garden beds. As I plant and pull those stubborn weeds, I remind myself that mother nature is providing me with a dirt manicure. The sweet songs the birds are singing to me fill the air, and I stop and say a small prayer, thanking God for my blessings.

I have nine chickens, all named for special women in my life, my grandmas, aunts, and great aunts. My girls bless me with the most beautiful brown eggs a girl could ask for!

Now, if only I could find a vintage 50's trailer I would paint it pink and aqua and cover it with polka dots. I'd place it right next to the flower garden, set back between two tall oak trees. I'll fill it with my handmade quilts and curtains and pillows and vintage crocheted potholders. I would decorate it with all the vintage kitschy things I've collected over the years.

Life would be perfect!

If you also believe in handmade, and long for simpler times, please join me in my adventures. My goal is to inspire, teach skills to create, and promote all things handmade.